Front-axle construction.



. A. P. BRUSH. rFRONT AXLE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED Nv. ag. m4.

l Patented Ap1-.24,1-917.

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UNITED STATES -inairnar oFFicE.

Anuson r. nnus'n,.,or mmzoir, meinem. A noname consrnucrion. 1,223,469,specimen or umrahmt. v BatentedrApr. 24,1917. Application aiedmvember80,1915. serialnasnpoe Tcallphomztmaiy concern: v, e When so tightlydriven into the sleeve they v it'known that I, ALANsoN P.' BRUSH, abecome, in effect, arts of said sleeve, and

cltizen of the United States, residing at Dethey furnish the edvcylindrical bearings .F1 2. eferring to the troit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented-a certain new andusefprovement in Front-Ax1e Construction, of which the following is a fiill,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in those parts of the motor carwhich have to do with steering the vehicle; and the chief object of theinvention is to insure the proper vlubrication of the relatively movableengaging surfaces. The invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out definitelyyin the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a a frontaxle in which the is embodied. Fig.2-is a sectioned of thefsaid axle 3 is avertical section in 3-3 onFig. 1. Fi 4.- is a horizontal section in the plane of ine 4 4 on Fig.3; and 5 is a horizontal section in line `5--5 on arts by letters, Arep-l resents the front a e, which is provided at its ends with twovertical sleeves a a.

B, B represent the two steering knuckles. Each has a supporting spindlewhich is rotatably moun in one of said sleeves, a, as hereinafterdescribed. .Each vsteermg knuckle has alsova wheel spindle b, on whichone of the'front steering wheels .of the vehicle is to be mounted in theusual way. Each knuckle has also an arm bf; and these two arms b* areivotally connected with op osite ends of t e link C in order that bothsteerin knuckles may simultaneousl a ut the axes porting spindles. Oneof these plan view of resent invention mechanism. Fig.

be turned sleeve. A flange bushing D is driven tightly into the lowerend of each sleeve unti the flange d at the lower end of said bushingengages the lower end of said sleeve a.

, for the spindle Zz. Said end goes through and front axle mechanism ofa D,-th t0n .on the's in eand the ont view partly the 'plane of line'Aas shown,joiv.' are engage of the supknuckles has also an arm 121 whichis for connection by bushin E Ais driven into the lpspindle adjacent toits upper end is rotatably mounted in the bushing E. Said spindle nearOits lower has a tongue and a bearin mountedi'n t e es b being preferably,form

grooves g1 being ferab'illy ormed in and cut through the eeve G. hissleeveG'projects'below the bus ing D; and this projecting end is formedwith an outwardly extending iange per, surface of the iange` g, and thelower end of the bushin D' are the load groove connection with whichisrotatably y mg surfaces 'vof' t e described mechanism,

well lubri-v and'obviously they ought to be cated at alltimes. Theseload supporting surfaces may beV finished before the bushing D andsleeve Gkfare assembled connection withv the other parts, .and thisirrespective of whetherI said surfaces are to be plain,

to be adapted for coperation. in the wellknown manner, with nterposedanti-friction .-balls.l

A curved washer F'may lie-fitted around the upper endV ofA the spindlebin such wise that its edges .embrace the /upper Vend of the bushing E,and a felt washer Klmay be placed withinthis curved washerso asfto thetop of saidbushing and make a dust tight joint. A nut 1H is screwedonto, the projectin lower end/of the spindle until the load bpp ortingsurfaces of the hing D are inv proper relative osition.

Finally a. cup nut J is screwed into the' threaded periphery of theflange d.

An oil holea1 is formed through the wall of sleeve a,`and through thisoil ma be poured in such ill7 the space within 'the sl spindle b, andmay also ill the-cup' nut J.

' Obviously, this oil will keepthe load suporting surfaces of thesleeveG and the ushing D thoroughly^lubricated. f

The arm b* 'end b5 bent down so that its 'axis is substantiallparallel-with the axis.v of the spindle b.'v he rod vC, which ispreferably tubular, has' at each end a vertical sleeve c which opensfromthe top. The down turned end b9 ofthe arm b* extends into this sleeve c,and has within the` sleeve a part Z1? ofresleeve G' g. The upa quantitythat vit^w .fill

eeve a around` the o`f each knuckle. has its outer sleeve G and ingduced diameter between two annular flanges 128 and b9. A longitudinallysplit bushing M is fitted around this part 57 between the two angesreferred to; and it has at its ends outwardly extended annular flangesfm, m1, which lit the sleeve c, and therefore leave between its smallermiddle part and the sleeve a space for oil. A cap nut N embraces the endHbf above the flange bs, and screws onto the upper end of the sleeve c.This cap nut may contain a metal washer P and a felt washer Q.

The tubular rod C, or, at least, the parts near the ends thereof are tobe filled with oil. However little oil there may be in this tubular rod,the swaying of the vehicle sidewise and the jars incident to use willinsure that this oil will be splashed upon the bearing surfaces of thebushing M and the part 67 of the arm b4.

From the foregoing it will appear that the bearings for the twospindles, and for the two down turned ends b5 of the arms b", havecertain common characteristics. That is to say, in each case thenon-rotating member has a lubrication well, and the bearing surfacescarried by said non-rotatable member are in said well. Also that saidwell has its only opening through the top, the rotatable member passesinto the well through said opening and substantially fills the latter,and carries bearing surfaces for coperation with the bearing surfacescarried by the non-rotatable member, whereby the said engaging bearingsurfaces are 1n direct contact with the lubrication therein.

The novel and patentable characteristics of the connection between thecross tie rod and the arms b4 of the steering knuckles are reserved aslthe subject matter of 'another application which has been iiled tocover same, namely, application Serial No.1 33,543, filed Nov. 27, 1916.y

I-Iavin described my invention, I claim:

1. In ront axle construction, the combination of an axle having at eachend a vertical sleeve and the following mechanism associated therewith,viz. a steering knuckle having a supporting spindle which extends downthrough said sleeve and is rotatively mounted in the upper end thereof,a bearing sleeve which embraces said spindle and has la tongue andgroove connection therewith and is rotatably mounted in the lower end ofsaid axle sleeve and has an external flange below said axle sleeve forsupporting the latter, and a nut which screws onto the lower end of saidspindle.

2. In front axle construction, the combination of an axle having at eachend a vertical sleeve nd the following mechanism associated therewith,viz., a steering knuckle hava supporting spin down through said sleeveand is rotatively mounted in the upper end thereof, a bearing and thatvdle which extends l. sleeve which embraces said spindle and has sleeve,and the following mechanism associated therewith, nviz. a steeringknuckle having a supporting spindle which extends down through saidsleeve and is rotatvely mounted in the upper end thereof, a bearingsleeve which embraces said spindle'and has a tongue and groove slidingconnection therewith and is rotatably mounted in the lower end of saidaxle sleeve and has an external flange below said axle sleeve forsupporting the latter, a nut which screws onto the lower end of saidspindle, means for introducing oil into the axle sleeve around thespindle between the upper and lower bearings thereof, and a cup nutremovably secured to the lower end ofthe axle sleeve.

4. In front axle construction, the combination of an axle having at eachend a vertical sleeve and the following mechanism associated with eachof said axle sleeves, viz. a bushing fixed in the upper end of saidsleeve and having an outwardly extended flange which engages with theupper end of said sleeve, a bushing fixed in the lower end of the sleevehaving an outwardly extended flange which engages the lower end of saidsleeve, a steering knuckle having a spindle, the upper portion of whichis rotatably mounted in the upper bushing referred to, a bearing. sleevewhich embraces the spindle and has a tongue and groove connectiontherewith and is rotatably mounted in the lower bushing, said bearingsleeve having an outwardly extended flange whose u per surface engagesthe lower surface of t e lower bushing, a nut which screws onto thelower end .ofthis spindle, and meansfor introducing oil into the axlesleeve between the two bushings-therein.

5. In front axle construction, the combination of an axle having at eachend a vertical sleeve and the following mechanism associated with eachof said axle sleeves, viz. a bushing fixed in the upper end of saidsleeveand having an flange which engages with the upper end of saidsleeve, a bushing fixed in the lower end of the sleeve having anoutwardly extended flange which engages the lower end of said sleeve, asteering knuckle -having a spindle, the upperl portion of which isrotatably mounted in the upper bushing referred to, a bearing sleevewhich embraces the spindle outwardly extended l and has a tongue andgroove connection therewith and is rotatably mounted in the lowerbushing, said vbearing sleeve having an outwardly extended flange whoseupper surface engages the lower surface of the lower bushing, a nutwhich screws onto the lower end of this spindle, means for introducingoil into the axle sleeve between the two bushings therein and a cup nutwhich screws onto the flange ofthe lower bushing.

6. In front axle construction, the combination of an axle havin at eachend a vertical sleeve and the fo lowing mechanism associated with eachof said axle sleeves, viz. a bushing fixed in the upper end of saidsleeve and having an outwardly extended flange whichengages with theupper end of said sleeve, a bushing xed in the lower end of the sleevehavingan outwardly extended flange which engages the lower end of saidsleeve, a steering knuckle having a spindle, the upper portion of whichis rotatably mounted in the upper bushing referred to,

a bearing sleeve which embraces the spindle and has a tongue and grooveconnection therewith and is rotatably mounted in the lower bushing, saidbearing sleeve having an outwardly extended'ilange whose upper surface.engages the lower surface of the lower bushing, a nut which screws ontothe lower end of this spindle, means, for introducing oil into the axlesleeve between the two bushings therein and a cup nut which screws ontothe flange of the lower bushing, and a curved washer embracingthe sindie and havin its edges embracing also t e upper endo the upperbushing; and having packing material conned etween said washer and theupper end ofthe bushing.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALANsoN P. BRUSH.

Witnesses:

E. L. THuRs'roN, L. I. PORTER.

